Another Linux PDA to Challenge the Nokia 770

vhogemann writes "It seems that the number of Linux PDA devices just keeps growing, the German based phone maker Road just announced an Qtopia based Linux Cellphone/PDA. The original article gives more details: 'Opening the clamshell device reveals a QWERTY keyboard and a 640 x 240 display — closed, the unit presents a 102 x 65 monochrome phone screen. The HandyPC contains the usual array of PIM and messaging apps, along with a viewer to read Microsoft Office files. It will ship with PC synchronisation tools, media player software and a web browser. It can even be used as a voice recorder.'" Rather than Nokia's 770, to me Road's phone more closely resembles Nokia's 9XXX series.

Comments

Great!

[andrewman327]

Rather than Nokia's 770, to me Road's phone more closely resembles Nokia's 9XXX series.

Whatever it is that has the name 9XXX, I want one.

With the current growth and popularity of Linux on the handheld, the OS is rapidly approaching ubiquity. This trend will accelerate with the much awaited release of the Linux version of Palm OS.

Meh.

[BecomingLumberg]

Sure, its cool, and it runs Linux, but will it be manufactured in large enough quantities to make it economically realistic?

I doubt it.

GRPS/EDGE makes this already obsolete

[disc-chord]

I've played with all of the data carriers and EDGE is just not what it was cracked up to be. Verizon may suck for voice quality, but their EVDO is tops. I'm able to listen to 160kbit streams all day long no matter where I go in Chicagoland on my XV6700.

Hmm, qtopia and screen space.

[Colin Smith]

Have they learned that screen real estate is vital on these small displays yet? I can't tell much from the screenshot. The bar along the bottom suggests they haven't. The Linux/qtopia Zaurus I had was absolutely dreadful for wasting the screen. Menus, buttons, status lines, large scrollbars all over the place. Damned near unusable...looks at supplier web site... Nope they haven't fixed it, they're still taking the windows desktop metaphor and trying to squeeze it onto a tiny screen. Well maybe they've improved the keyboard shortcuts.

The Epoc based Nokia Communicator though does make good use of screen space. It should it came from a company who understood how to make a usable PDA.

Re:Hmm, qtopia and screen space.

[Ed Avis]

640x240 is not that small. 'High-resolution' CGA two-colour display was 640x200, and Windows up to 3.0 can run in that. For many years the standard PC resolution was 640x480, and if you choose your fonts carefully it's okay to halve the vertical resolution. The Archimedes had a pleasant and reasonably uncramped GUI in 640x256 (using an 8x8 font designed to work with rectangular pixels), and I think the Amiga and other 'home computers' designed to connect to television sets had a similar resolution.

I think this was in the days before excessive toolbars; the Arc also disposed of menubars and used the middle middle button to pop up a menu, which was a neat way to do things.

Re:What the hell?

[Mr. Slippery]

Errr...what is a QWERTZ keyboard?

The German version of QWERTY.

QWERTZ IS NOT A TYPO

[dwayner79]

Its German... look at the pics.

Re:What the hell?

[fizzyabbo]

Believe it or not, there are keyboard layouts that are designed to be better suited to languages other than English. QWERTZ is the German version, the French use a layout called AZERTY, etc. "The more you know" ... *shooting star*

Love the form-factor

[mdielmann]

This is the form-factor I've looked forward to most in the phone/PDA market. Easy enough to handle as a phone, and a screen that's wide enough to actually fit 80 characters on. I have some issues with the computer UI, but hopefully someone makes better use of the screen space. I don't need to waste one line of text to show me what else I'm running when I only get half a screen in the first place (I'd prefer a hidden menu-type listing). If I could pick my next cell phone, this is the form factor, if not the actual phone, that I would go for. Sadly, my work supplies Blackberries with their small screen, wide form-factor, and sub-chiclet buttons.

P.S. Of course, it's also the form-factor that Val Kilmer used in The Saint. :)